Blog

Holistically Grow Food, Raise Animals, Collect Resources & Live Free
Mar 23 2015
2
Soil Restoration

Pine Needles & Compost Acidity

By | Permaculture, Soil Restoration & Building | No Comments
A common debate in the gardening / farming community is whether or not pine needles increase compost or soil acidity. In permaculture soil restoration we use large quantities of compost to aid in building soils back to a healthy state.

For our compost we use a large quantity of manure from a farm here in Grass Valley that is free and also full of pine needles.  So much so that others would not even take it as they believed that it would be more acidic than without. Their loss or ours?

This begged the question – what was the truth behind pine needles and soil acidity? From a Permaculture standpoint this is important as pine needles are a natural occurring resource and we need to know:
Read More

Feb 07 2015
2
DIY Permaculture A-Frame Level

DIY A-Frame Level for Contour Marking

By | Permaculture | 4 Comments

A-Frame Level: An Essential Tool for Swale Building

Swales are passive water harvesting earthworks (aka Berm and Basin or swale) that also help prevent soil erosion and serve as a foundation for building biodiversity on a property. With drought conditions getting worse over the past few years and our current methods of irrigation being unsustainable; most any property could benefit from the addition of swales.

Read More